The sight
of a 12 to 14 foot-long alligator is something south Georgia folks see
occasionally, but few have seen one take an adult deer out to lunch.
Actually -- for lunch.

The photographs of this
deer-eating alligator were taken from the air by Terri Jenkins, a
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service District Fire Management Officer. She
was preparing to ignite a prescribed fire at Harris
Neck National Wildlife Refuge, about 40 miles south of Savannah,
Georgia, on March 4, 2004. The photo has

“One advantage of
fire work is you get to see that 12-14 footers are common from Santee
National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina to Coastal South Carolina
to Georgia’s coast,” said Jenkins. “It looks like
the alligator population is doing extremely well.”

This one was at least 12-13
feet long. Jenkins said that some bull alligators have a 35 inch girth.

The Service uses a helicopter
capable of igniting controlled burns by dropping flaming fuel-filled
ping pong balls on pre-selected areas. She works throughout parts
of North Carolina, South Carolina and Coastal Georgia refuges and
fish hatcheries. The Service uses prescribed fire to improve habitat
and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

If you’re a deer
hunter, the refuge hosts an archery hunt on September 15-17, 2004
and a gun hunt November 19, 2004 (only 150 permits will be issued).
For more information, and to obtain an application, visit: http://harrisneck.fws.gov/.
Applications must be received by August 31, 2004 at Savannah Coastal
Refuges, 1000 Business Center Drive, Parkway Business Center, Suite
10, Savannah, Georgia, 31405.

The alligator will not
be charged with hunting deer out of season, animal cruelty, or any
one of several possible water quality violations. He may, however,
be charged with being one mean gator. If we could catch him... Or
wanted to...

Click on
the photo for 300dpi image, right click and save

Photos
are free, public domain and available to the public.
Credit photos to Terri Jenkins, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.